Field Dependent and Independent: Self-reported Characteristics in Immigrant Adult Learners

As community health educators, nurses find it difficult to effectively implement teaching and learning strategies traditionally used with American adult learners. Concurrent methodological triangulation was used to explore the construct of field dependence/independence in immigrant adult learners. This two-step study employed the Witkin (1971) Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to determine field dependency/independency in 77 subjects from various culturally diverse populations. The convenience sample consisted of 16 (n=16) subjects from Russian, Sudanese, and Dominican adult learner cohorts. These subjects proved to be predominantly field-dependent. Focused interviews also provided direct self-reported evidence that the students perception of their learning process was consistent with the results of the GEFT. Outcomes of this study suggested that focused interview techniques reflected field dependency/independency as accurately as a formal assessment tool, such as the GEFT. Results indicated the assessment of cohort-based learning style tendencies through a non-threatening interview may be a cost effective and time efficient way to plan community-based educational programs.